Where should you start your child with Milestone Maths?
Milestone Maths is designed to allow you to more precisely match the entry point to your child’s ability, knowledge and experience. Choose the scenario that best describes you and your child:
- My child is just starting home schooling with no previous maths experience (Ages 6+)
- My child has had some maths experience in school or at home (Ages 7+)
- I am an experienced home schooling parent that knows my child’s skills and maths knowledge well
- I am a parent that wants my child to use Milestone Maths after school
- I have an older child that is struggling in maths
For children new to formal maths lessons
Answer the following questions:
- Is your child at least 6 years old?
- Can your child count to 10?
- Does your child recognise the written symbols for the numbers 1-10?
If you answered yes to all three questions, your child is ready for level B and should start at Book B1.
Children who have some mathematical experience
The sample pages on each product page serve as effective placement tests. These samples are actually checkpoints from the books, providing a good summary of the material taught in each book. They can help you quickly determine what your child knows and what they don’t.
To place your child:
- Start one level below the year your child has just completed.
- Have your child work through the checkpoints (sample pages).
- Continue until your child becomes unfamiliar with two or three checkpoints in a row.
- Your child should generally begin with the first book from which those unfamiliar checkpoints were taken.
If the above procedure gives unexpected results
If your child finds only a few isolated checkpoints difficult, they most likely have some holes in their mathematical knowledge. As every case is unique, we recommend that you contact the author for advice on how to fill those gaps.
If you know what your kid knows
You may be able to determine the best starting point for your child simply by viewing the sample pages yourself. However, we still recommend having your child work through the sample pages for the book immediately before the one you think they should start on. This ensures no gaps in understanding and allows your child to become familiar with the Milestone Maths lesson style using relatively easy material before moving onto new concepts.
After school use
The most logical approach is to start at the first book for the year level that corresponds with your child’s school grade. However, if your child is struggling in school, a lower level will likely be more appropriate and beneficial in the long run. In that case, please follow the process for “Children who have had some mathematical experience” outlined above.
If, after completing the sample pages, you are still unsure where to start, please do not hesitate to contact the author for personalised advice.
Older struggling students
Milestone Maths has been written to suit learners of all ages right from level B. The books speak directly to the student in a manner that is engaging but not condescending and the illustrations are in a simple cartoon style that appeals to all ages.
Older students who would benefit from “starting over with their maths education” are generally best to begin at Milestone 4 in Book B1, however, placement of such students can be a complicated process for many reasons so we would advise you to contact the author for individual advice.